Niemi can laugh about the starting goalie mystery, Pavelski practices as third-line center — and more

SAN JOSE – Antti Niemi isn’t letting all this secrecy about who will be the Sharks starting goalie get to him. In fact, he was downright funny today talking about the public situation he finds himself in.

Has Todd told you who’s starting?

“I don’t think so,” he said – complicating the response a little more than it had to be.

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Does Niemi hope to get word on Wednesday?

“I would hope so,” the goalie said. “There have been times that the goalies texted each other the night before. Like, ‘Did they tell you? They didn’t tell me.’ ”

Working in Niemi’s favor – besides the Stanley Cup he won in Chicago four years ago — is his 26-save performance in a 2-1 victory over Los Angeles on April 3, the most recent meeting between the teams.

“Yeah. I think I mentioned to somebody earlier,” Niemi said, “that it’s been the whole season a little different playing L.A. because we have faced them twice in the playoffs, and last year we lost to them, so you always get a little extra energy against those guys.”

****The most noteworthy thing about Tuesday’s practice was the fact McLellan did indeed move Joe Pavelski off the top line with Joe Thornton and Brent Burns and into the third-line center role between Tommy Wingels and Marty Havlat.

I’ve already filed an online story about that and you should be able to find it posted soon.

McLellan said that where Pavelski plays depends at least in part – no surprise – on how much ice time Tomas Hertl can handle on the top line against some of the Kings high-end forwards. Here’s the coach’s complete thought when asked about what he’s seen from Hertl so far:

“I think he’ll get better as we go along. Our measuring stick is the two games that he played at the end of the season, back-to-back with travel. In a different type of environment, where they didn’t mean much to the teams that competed in them. In those situations we were rolling four lines, so minutes were a little more evenly distributed. Now, we’re going to enter the playoffs. The intensity goes up. Minutes aren’t necessary evenly distributed, and he has to be prepared for that.”

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The other outside factor that helps determine whether McLellan takes the risk of moving his team’s top scorer off the top line? Raffi Torres’s availablility.
And that decision won’t be made until Thursday morning.

For what it’s worth, Torres did say he felt better today than Monday. But he and the Sharks have said before that there are good days and bad days so try not to read too much into that.

Here’s how the lines looked today. And, yes, I know you don’t see James Sheppard’s or Tyler Kennedy’s name out there. Remember, it’s only Tuesday.

****A popular question Tuesday was whether the Sharks could get too jacked up for a game against the Kings because of all the history between the teams.
Can you get too jacked up for a series?

“There’s an emotional level that you have to get to in any playoff series, whether this one or against anybody else,” McLellan said. “But, there’s also a level that you can’t cross, because then you become something you’re not. We’ll try and get emotionally attached to the game. We want to get excited about it and get ready to play, but emotional control is really important when you talk about discipline, power play situations, and anything else that may present itself during the game.”

And Pavelski’s response: “Yeah, there’s a line that you need to walk, and at the end of the day both teams understand you want to be the winner at the end. Whatever shots you get in or don’t get in, a lot of that gets taken care of if you win. We’ll be working toward trying to find our way on the positive side.”

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.

If he is ready to fill in that role. You can play hurt but you cannot play injured. And we have no idea what the extent of his injury is.

nolimits

From an outsider perspective…I don’t see what all the fuss is about Torres. Didn’t he only play like 5 or 6 games? Didn’t SJ get to where they are w/o him? Yes of course he brings a certain element to the game but how could he possibly flip a switch and be ready for a series as tough as this is going to be especially if he is still having good and bad days from this injury.
Since I’m kind of used to staying up this time of year, I’m going to watch you guys Thursday night! I’m rooting for the ultimate SC match up…Wings/Sharks. Yea, yea it is a total dream but man it would be awesome!
I find it kind of cool that SJ got LA and DET got Boston…arguably the 2 hardest (LA/Boston) hitting teams in the group of 16.
Best of luck in your series!

Phat Stat Phil

Two of the three were directly related to the Hawks cheating on the salary cap that year. Byfuglien had to go because of that.

Niemi left because DW gave Hjalmarsson an offer sheet and that forced Chicago to choose between a promising young defenseman and their rookie goaltender.

GP_hockeyhappens

Like I said, I guestimate the Sharks beat the Wings in the finals in the NHL.com brackets Buddy Elf set up.

Torres, the big fuss, he has a huge influence on how this Sharks team plays. Torres will have that hockey humility and downplay his own impact. But observers, most, notice.

GP_hockeyhappens

The Leafs got a bit unlucky. Bolland was hurt most of the season. Even though he came back down the stretch, he wasn’t consistent and not the impact player the Leafs needed to maintain their PO standing. A healthy Bolland all season might have had more contribution to Leafs overall.

Phat Stat Phil

The legend of Torres springs from last year when he got on the Sharks.

Prior to the trade deadline signing, the Sharks were struggling to score and get into the playoffs. After the trade deadline, they went on a tear. The fact that he scored the overtime winner for game two against the Canucks helps.

There is — in my opinion — a great deal of hyperbole. It has actually been said on this blog that the Sharks will go as far in the playoffs as Torres takes them.

He hasn’t played enough for people to see him in the context of his career — a checking forward whose best season was about half a point a game. Instead he’s seen as bringing effort in the form of hits and improving the overall speed of San Jose’s game which was seen as a weakness last year.

nolimits

I don’t disagree with any of your comments…however, chemistry does play a role in the here and now. This all could just be a smoke screen to screw with LA as well. Just like not picking the starting goalie. For SJ’s sake, yea once T is up to speed he would be a gr8 asset for sure but one man cannot do it all obviously. I honestly don’t think he is the “X factor” for the Sharks. Niemi is IMO.

Topcatone

Good summary. Torres brings those intangible factors. His speed, skills, tough wall and corner play seems to inspire what ever line he plays on, and the entire team. He has the WILL to beat the other guy to a loose puck. He also has very good passing skills and a good shot. And, he is a fear factor to keep the Kings who target our stars in line. He can play on any line. If Hertl can go on the first line, and Pavs as 3rd line center w Torres and Wingles, that is three good scoring lines. Although the 4th line has not scored much, they are a speedy threat. With Hertl and Torres, basically the Sharks have no fear in rolling four lines (at least at home) which, if Sharks hit like in the last game against LA, should wear down the Kings a bit.

J B

Basically, you’re right about Torres. Some of his mystique in this upcoming series is the impact (no pun intended) he was expected to have in the last series with LA – and I believe, would have had if not for the suspension.

Gotta admit I would love to see a Wings-Sharks Cup final. And so I can say, until that point anyway, good luck Wings.

Tom (fm Quinzee)

I will refrain from rancor and name-calling. You have no sense of irony, let alone the ability to detect sarcasm. Those are obvious conclusions to draw from your response…

Topcatone

We don’t know, but to me, if he is practicing, then more likely he is sore and hurts. Like Hertl, I don’t think he would be practicing if he there was a reasonable chance of injuring his knee. Hey, I had rotator cuff surgery a year and a half ago, and I’m completely healed but it still hurts doing some things. Even if Torres/Hertl can play every other game, we still really need them.

Hockeynut

I’m confused why my response elicited that one from you? Hard to read “sarcasm” on a message board. Of course I have a plan for Burns, he is far too valuable to sit out.

Phat Stat Phil

I’m not sure why you bring up Torres, really.

Anyway, that guy does really like Luongo, but his numbers are a reflection of the argument you see against goalies like Osgood and Brodeur. It’s really hard to differentiate a good goaltender from a good team. DIGR — in spite of its name — doesn’t even come close.

What I see is that Quick plays the low part of the net almost to exclusion. When he’s tracking a shooter, you see him in that near-splits stance. Partially, that’s to better track the puck, but it’s also because he has faith in the defense to stop those shots from being taken.

I’m not going to say that he doesn’t have great reflexes or that he doesn’t do a good job of sealing the ice with his pads, but his game has been specifically optimized for the Kings’ game.

Topcatone

Randy said he and Drew will do game one (CSNCA/NBCSN)

GP_hockeyhappens

Every game, 20 X factors.

Drilling down further, the Torres impact on the other 19 is more of a confidence, or macho mentality. If most of these guys make one more check/hit because they have more confidence, that is huge of the course of the game and then over the series. It’s really an intangible that can’t really be measured.

Tom (fm Quinzee)

It can be difficult to read sarcasm anywhere. However, I’ve never heard of a hockey team that had too many 20 goal scorers. Add to that the FACT that the strong point of the Kings as a team is big D-men who keep things clear for Quick to see the puck. Burns is a big guy with speed and poses problems for most big d-men, who don’t have speed.

Further, we’ve seen Burns as a d-man, and there were problems with his understanding of positional play. We can see that problem at times with Burns as a forward, but when you’re a d-man, that’s a fatal error.

GP_hockeyhappens

He was clearly trying to cover up for his mistake. Then, you called it right, he’s unable to see the clear and obvious sarcasm.

But, the solution to his mistake doesn’t make sense to me and is probably not reality. I think there would be 99.9% chance that TMac would NOT move Burns back to D all the sudden. He’s not played back back there all season except on the PP. And the PP is a player rotation scheme.

If my memory serves, Buff was moved up to fwd after playing D most of that season. Not the other way around. That is the only move I think Coach Q would have taken. TMac, IMO, doesn’t even have that in his options notebook and probably for the fatal error reason you cited.

PattyWakBakersMan

Sharks gotta pick up Ryan Malone this offseason, that guy sure knows how to party!!

GP_hockeyhappens

Watching NHLN and G6 of the Kings/Devils finals. Dustin Brown shown himself to be a D Bag then too. At one point in 3rd period Brown was caught for tripping. Before play was stopped he threw a high elbow at Petr Sykora. Was hard to tell if Brown caught him in the jaw, but his head snapped back hard into the glass. The announcers said nothing about the head shot. Hence, nothing reviewed that I can remember. Any suspension for Brown would have been served the following season.

Topcatone

That is a good example of NHL officiating I just don’t get. Brown take a free shot after knowing he just took a penalty. Give him 4 minutes! Another two instances that almost always go unpenalized are blatant cross checking in front of the net, even when the puck is not there. And, taking free shots after a player has scored. Count the goal AND assess a penalty. Just seems like common sense to me, but NHL doesn’t seem to get it.

GP_hockeyhappens

Brown should have that rep by now. And hopefully now too, after declining Wingels invitations, a well known pugilist with hammer fists , will continue that less than manly image across the league.

Hockeynut

Torres has never scored more than 42pts in a full season yet people here think based on a couple of games he’s some sort of offensive machine. While I agree he did do some things in limited duty, to think at his age he will keep up that pace is illogical. The same goes for Hertl. Yes, he lit up the NHL with 7 goals in 5 games. But then in the next 32(?) he’s scored 8 goals.

J.B. while I agree Torres would have helped the Sharks last year let’s not overlook the fact the guy he took out with the headshot (Stoll) was a key component on the Kings power play and one of their best faceoff guys as well. Stoll’s impact was missed probably as much as Torres.

GP_hockeyhappens

“…yet people here think based on a couple of games he’s some sort of offensive machine.”

That is a pure lie. Nobody has said that or is saying that.

Beer League Rocks

Why do you bother, he’s already told you his hockey knowledge is above and beyond yours… That alone should be enough reason to not waste your time.

What he seems to not understand is that Raffi’s impact on a game/series isn’t about his goals/points total (those don’t hurt), but the hits he lays on people, the overall energy he brings to the team. I could keep going, but I think we are on the same page, more or less.

Also he forgot about Burns as he made his forward lines for the playoffs, and tried to pretend he hadn’t by later saying he’d play him on D (which won’t happen, unless three sharks dmen are injured at the same time, in which case they are most likely done anyways).

GP_hockeyhappens

“Why do you bother?”

That is a good question BLR. In a rec league, I usually don’t participate in extracariculers(sp). But, there is always that occasion during a game the opponents biggest a hole will shove his glove in your face and without thinking, the problem is exposed.

Johnny San Jose

Kurz is reporting that Torres is likely to go tomorrow night.

renoshark

Torres is what he is. He can hit, he battles for loose pucks, he’s strong on the boards, he doesn’t concede one inch of ice space, he can skate and he can score. That’s just his game. Always has been. That’s why his overall impact is so valuable. His skill-set combination is exactly what SJ needs against a heavy team like LA. To judge a player solely on their offensive stats does a disservice to their proper evaluation.

renoshark

“Torres brings those intangible factors. His speed, skills, tough wall and corner play seems to inspire what ever line he plays on, and the entire team.”

Exactly. I’ve said this about him repeatedly but there is a tendency on this board to discredit his overall game based on sheer offensive numbers, which is a mistake.

renoshark

13pact.

Beer League Rocks

Yea, I try to ignore the stupid crap in rec league, but every once in a while I get sick of it and respond. You can’t let the a holes feel like they can get away with their crap all the time. The worst is when youre blowing a team out and a bunch of them get chippy, and the refs don’t control the game (let’s be honest, if the refs drop the puck near the center of the faceoff dot, their having a good game. I got slashed on my forearm a couple weeks ago, thru my elbow pad, while dekeing around two guys. I had the puck, the refs must have been watching, and no call. The welt on my arm is just now getting better, good thing as I have games tonight and tomorrow). But I digress.

GP_hockeyhappens

And the crap this guy brings us is things like:

Before the game:
“The Sharks should win easily because the opponent has injuries and has 5 AHL guys and the backup goalie playing.”

After the win:
“Sharks only won the game because the other team had 5 AHL guys and the backup goalie.”

I think it’s intentional and it stinks.

Beer League Rocks

I really hope Torres is ready to go, not just for game one, but as long as the Sharks remain in the playoffs, hopefully well into June. Him and Wingles together on the third line, irregardless of who their center is, is a lot for the other team to deal with. Lots of hits and hard and fast forechecking.

GP_hockeyhappens

They just reported on NHL Live that Doughty will probably be playing tomorrow night.

Maybe he’ll try to hit Kennedy again?

Beer League Rocks

It does stink, but they are just words, not the same as getting slashed, cross checked, ball checked, etc. those can actually hurt, physically. Sticks and stones….

Yup – Buffy the Sharkslayer has mainly been a d-man through his career. I think it was Zeke (where’s he been?) who advocated using Cranky in a similar role, I think just for PPs. Interesting idea…Z was also constantly harping on moving BB to forward, so we can forgive his “pull the goalie” stuff, and to be honest, I do (still) have *some* agreement with it. What game was it at the end where it was tried and failed? Phoenix? I remember reading Buddy’s terse “that went well” or similar comment, so it was the Phoenix game. To me, if you’re totally desperate, why not? The ‘Yotes were putting on the sun tan lotion anyway. Nothing to lose.

Tom (fm Quinzee)

Didn’t he cheap-shot someone in the Olympics? Yes – just looked it up. Datsyuk. Man, I’d like to see one of those “aim for an opponent, miss and take out your teammate” jobs by Brown. Speaking of cheap shots, who’s the interim Shanahan? Or is he finishing the season?

Tom (fm Quinzee)

Ball checked? Don’t tell me you don’t wear a cup…

Beer League Rocks

I do wear one, doesn’t mean you don’t feel it when someone gives you a hack/cheapshot between the legs.
If I somehow forgot to pack that vital piece of equipment for a game, I wouldn’t play. Years ago I did forget, now I have a spare, just in case…

GP_hockeyhappens

Shanny is now Leaf’s President.

Stephan Quental (sp) is moved into that spot. Don’t know if it’s perm yet?

I think that is the opinion. He did cheap shot someone in Feb.

Beer League Rocks

It was the Colorado game. That’s how Havlat got his hattrick.

GP_hockeyhappens

I also have two in my hockey bag. Too important.

Once I did forget the shorts — had to use stick tape to hold in place.

GP_hockeyhappens

Yep — Roy. He was going for the Division. The loss to the Sharks kept the Avs from a chance at the West.

Beer League Rocks

I found one in the lost and found…

Wonderogre

Barry Melrose? More like…uh… Dumbhead Poobrain.

Wonderogre

I hope they’re not rushing him back. On the one hand, I wouldn’t be too surprised if they thought it would be worth it to bring him back just for the LA series, knowing he may not be able to play beyond that. On the other hand, that’s dumb and I just hope that’s not the case.

Beer League Rocks

Yea, don’t bring him back unless he is truly healthy. He might need to play a game and see how he feels. I don’t see Raffi doing what Havlat did last season, say he could play and didn’t even finish the first period.